Stone spreaders



'July 9; 1957 M. R. SHAW STONE SPREADERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 26 1956 INVENTOR. MILLAFD A, SHAW M. R. SHAW STONE SPREADERS July 9, 1957 2 Sheds-Sheet 2 Filed March 26, 1956 INVENTOR. MIL no R. .Slmw

BY 224 W WV @044 Uii 2,798,649 Patented July 9, 1957 STONE. srnnannns Millard R. Shaw, Akron, Y., assignor to M & R Machine Shop Division of the Shaw Weed Specialties,

Inc., Akron, N. Y.

Application March 26, 1956, Serial No. 573,742

4 Claims. (Cl. 222-562) My invention relates in general to an apparatus for spreading crushed stone, slag, sand or like material upon a road surface, and particularly to a device of this nature which is carried by a motor truck.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a spreader whereby the thickness of the layer of material applied to the road may be readily varied from the exterior of the device while it is in use.

Another object is to provide a device by which the width of the layer may be readily varied or divided at will from the exterior of the device.

Moreover, my device is provided with means for shutting olf the entire dispensing opening without altering the adjustment of the individual dispensing gates.

Furthermore, my device is simple in construction and easy to operate.

The above objects and advantages have been accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawings, of which:

7 Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my device attached to a truck body;

Fig. 2 is a face view of the device, being broken away; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on line Ill-HI of Fig. 2.

My device comprises a hopper 10 which is V-shaped in general formation having inclined front and rear walls 11 and 12, respectively. 'The front and rear walls are preferably reinforced by angle irons 13 and 14, respectively, secured to the upper edges thereof. The front and back walls are connected by means of end walls 15, each of which is provided with a downwardly extending portion 16 to the lower end of which is secured a shoe 17.

The rear wall 12 of the hopper is formed along its lower edge with a continuous dispensing opening 29 which terminates preferably at the end plates 15. Arranged along the outer face of the wall 12 is a series of adjustable gates 21 which are slidable across the face of the wall for regulating the size of the dispensing opening opposite each individual gate. Each gate is formed with a slot 22 through which a bolt 24 is passed. The head of each bolt is disposed on the inside of the wall and its outer end extends beyond the gate where it is provided with a retaining spring 25. The spring serves to press the gate against the wall 12 and to maintain it in sliding contact therewith. A gate guide 26 extends across the upper portion of the wall 12 and has a downwardly and inwardly extending end 30 which is spaced from the outer surface of the wall 12 sufficiently to permit the upper edges of the gates to pass beneath it. Each of the gates is formed with a gate arm 31 to which the lower ends of two spaced gate links 32 are pivotally attached. The upper ends of these links are pivotally secured to a gate lever 33 which has its upper end pivotally mounted upon the reinforcing angle 14. By actuating the gate lever 33, the associated gate may be opened or closed or adjusted to provide any desired size of opening opposite it.

a portion thereof In order to close the dispensing opening 20 across its entire width independentlyof the individual gate adjustment, I provide a shut-off gate 34 which may be of channeliron cross section as shown. This gate has a plate 35 secured at each end thereof which is formed on its forward end with a guide 36. Each guide is slidably mounted upon a plate rod 40 which is carried by a plate housing 41. Each of these housings is secured to the outer face of one of the end plates 15 of the hopper. A shut-off link 42 is arranged at each side of the shut-off i gate and has its lower end pivotally attached to one of the plates 35. The upper end of these links is pivotally secured to an actuating arm 43. Each of these arms is nonrotatably mounted upon a pivot rod 44 which extends across the face of the machine and which is pivotally carried by the extensions 45 of the hopper end plates 15. Secured to each end of the pivot rod 44 is a shut-off lever 46 whereby the pivot rod may be oscillated so as to affect opening or closing of the shut-off gate 34.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings the opening 20 is shown as being exposed to its full capacity by the position of the gates 21. Should it, however, be desired to decrease or to shut off the flow of material opposite any one of the gates, that individual gate is actuated by means of the associated gate lever 33 to the desired adjusted or closed position. Should it now be desired to close off the entire opening without altering the adjustment of the individual gates, the shut-off gate 34 is moved from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. l by the actuation of either shut-01f lever 46.

In Fig. 1, I have shown a truck body 49 having a pivotally mounted end gate 50 which is shown in its partially open position. When my device is to be used, it is attached to the truck with the upper edge of the front wall 11 engaging the tail flange 51 of the truck body. In order to lift and position the device in relation to the truck, I provide a Windlass 52 at each end of the hopper and extend the cable 53 of each upwardly around a sheave 54 and attach its lower end to a clevis 55 carried at the upper end of the front wall 11. The sheave is carried by a sheave hook 56 which is engaged with the upper edge of the end gate 59 of the truck. A holding chain 60 is preferably attached at one end to the downwardly extending portion 16 of each end plate 15 of the hopper, and at the opposite end to any suitable portion (not shown) of the truck. Safety chains d1 are also employed having one end of each attached to each end plate 15 and the upper ends to some portion of the truck, as for instance, the end gate 50.

When my device is in use, the truck body is, of course, tilted so as to open the gate thereof and to discharge the material being handled by the spreader into the hopper. The material will flow from the hopper through the opening 20 an amount determined by the adjustment of the individual gates. Obviously, the flow of road material over any particular lateral portion of the road being serviced may be interrupted by closing the gate opposite this portion. As hereinbefore pointed out, when it is desired to stop the flow of material from the device without altering the adjustment of the individual gates, the shut-off gate is lowered by means of either of the shut-off levers and the entire opening thereby closed.

Obviously, some modifications of the device as shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the exact details herein shown and described.

What is claimed is:

1. A stone spreader, comprising a hopper having front and rear side walls, end walls joined to said side walls,

. a continuous dispensing opening formed in the rear Wall, a plurality of adjustable gates disposed against and slidably mounted-uponthe outer-surface of-said rear Wall, said gates being movable individually over said opening to vary the Width thereof at portions opposite each gate, resilient means'for holding said gate against said rear Wall, means for independently actuating said adjustable gates, a' housing secured tothe outside surface of each, end wall, a guide rod carried by each housing'and havin'gits axis substantially parallel to the surface of said rear wall, an end plate slidably disposed upon each guide rod, a shut-off gate carried by said end plates and disposed adjacent the outside surfaces of said adjustable gates, said shut-off gate'being movable over said adjustable gates to close the entire dispensing Opening, and means for actuating said shut-off gate. a

2. A stone spreadercomprising ahopper having front and rear side Walls, end walls joined'to said side walls, a continuous dispensing opening formed in the rear Wall, a-plurality of adjustable gates disposed against and slidably mounted upon the outer surface of said rear Wall, a gate guide adjacent the outer surface of said rear wall and in spaced relation therewith for slidably supporting the upper ends of said adjustable gates, said gates being movable individually over said opening to vary the width thereof at portions opposite each gate, resilient means for holding said gate against said rear wall, means for independently actuating said adjustable gates, a housing secured to the outside surface of each end wall, a guide rod carried by each housing and having its axis substantially parallel to the surface of said rear wall, an end plate slidably disposed upon each guide rod, a shut-off gate carried by said end plates and disposed adjacent the outside surfaces of said adjustable gates, said shut-off gate being movable over said adjustable gates to close the entire dispensing opening, and means for actuaing said shut-off gate.

3. A stone spreader, comprising a hopper having front and rear side Walls, end Walls joined to said side Walls, a continuous dispensing opening formed in the rear wall, said rear wall having an upstanding portion, a gate guide having a vertical portion secured to the upstanding portion of said rear wall, said guide having an angular portion in spaced relation with the outer face of said rear wall, a plurality of adjustable gates slidably mounted A on the outer surface of said rear wall, said gates having their upper ends slidably disposedunder' the angular portion of said guide, each of said gates having its intermediate portion formed with a slot for engagement with a bolt carried by said rear Wall, yieldable means carried by said bolt for urging said adjustable gates against said rear wall, and a shut-off gate disposed over said adjustable gates for completely closing said opening without disturbing the adjustment of said adjustable gates.

4. A stone spreader, comprising a hopper having front and rear side walls, end Walls joined to said side walls, a continuous dispensing opening formed in the rear Wall, said rear wall having an upstanding portion, a gate guide having a vertical portion secured to the upstanding portion of said rear Wall, said guide having an angular portion in spaced relation with the outer face of said rear wall, a plurality of adjustable gates slidably mounted on the outer surface of said rear wall, said gates having their upper ends slidably disposed under the angular portion of said guide, each of said gates having its intermediate portion formed with a slot forengagement with a bolt carried by said rear wall, yieldable means carried by said bolt for urging said adjustable gates against said rear wall, a housing secured to the outside face of each end wall, a guide rod carried by each housing and having its axis substantially parallel to the surface of said rear Wall, an end plate slidably disposed on each guide rod,

and a shut-off gate carried by each end plate and disposedadjacent the outside surfaces of said adjustable gates, said shut-01f gate being movable over said adjustable gates to enclose the entire dispensingopening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS France Mar. 14, 

